? Have you stole from your employer
Poll
 | 12 votes (57.14%) | ||
| | 6 votes (28.57%) | ||
| | 2 votes (9.52%) | ||
| | 1 vote (4.76%) |
21 members have voted
Since it has been said that casinos have much internal theft.
I was curious what % of employees are stealing.
Does that count?
Quote: DJTeddyBeara box of pens or some batteries home.
Does that count?
A pen, no. A box of pens, Yes.
Obviously there's a degree of opinion in these matters. It can be a slippery slope though once you get started.
Those numbers may not be exact, but my experience has shown they are close. How employees are treated and more importantly feel they are treated make a huge difference. Even in the simple pen answer above, justification plays a big part in it.
How many times have you been given a free beer or drink (Non Casino) by a bartender looking for a bigger tip? It's stealing plain and simple, but the bartender justifies it by saying he is underpaid and just making some extra money. Also sloppy owners get stolen from all the time by having no clue what is going on. Again in the bar business are you tracking sales through your POS and matching them up to bottle counts? Advising your employees you know they are missing 3 bottles of Bud Light this week goes a LONG way. Presenting it as a reminder to ensure you ring up every drink when busy instead of accusing them of stealing also goes a long way.
Quote: DJTeddyBearI work in the office of an electrical supply warehouse. I frequently use the office copier for personal stuff and occasionally take a box of pens or some batteries home.
Does that count?
Most likely. If you would grab the box of pens with your supervisor watching, then I'd say no. If you would look both ways to make sure no one can see you slip the box into your backpack, then it is obviously stealing. Batteries? That is clearly stealing. As far as the copier, my guess is if you asked your supervisor if you could use it for the occasional, infrequent need to make a copy, he would say ok.
Since I am not really anonymous here, I will defer answering!
Have I ever stolen from my employers? That would be a yes, and I regret doing it. It was a long time ago, but I still feel bad about it. It's weird. I'd never shoplift from a store, but at the time I didn't have a problem stealing from the people who gave me a job.
In my life I have lied, and cheated, and stolen,
And still I consider myself to be one the good guys......
Thanks for reminding me not to be too harshly judgmental of my fellow man. 2F
It's still stealing, but easy to justify. (I would never ever EVER steal a towel from a hotel or a glass from a bar, though. ;) )
Quote: RSAre you stealing from a hotel if you snag a towel and bring it home? Well, yes and no. The cost of the hotel room includes the chance of a towel being stolen and the cost of the towel.
Hotels expect you to take the tiny shampoos and the pen. They don't expect you to steal the lightbulbs and TV remote batteries. The first time I took a girl to a hotel room back in my 20s, she took a washcloth, and later I got a letter in the mail with a bill for that washcloth.
DJ TeddyBear: did you really need a whole box of pens? lol. one or two is pilferage, and I figure everyone does that. Line cooks might make a little extra of a patron's meal to eat on the side while working, but taking a box of steaks home is stealing.
Here's a plaque that amused me in a hotel room in Eugene, OR a few years ago.
...and some of the soaps/shampoos I've collected over the years.
Yous guys crack me up! That's why I read here.
I prolly shouldn't post, but I'm compulsive ;-)
Nice pics..
If you need some extra pen's head to a sports book.
Boz would kill me if I was a customer of his bar, I borrow glasses from casinos restaurants and bars all the time. Yes sometimes I actually return them. I probably have 75 different bucket, shot, whiskey, highball, beverage and snifter glasses at home.
As far as bank pens go, It's hard to get them off that dam little chain thing.
https://youtu.be/_m6Eu8Ov244
You take 2 items to the changing room in a store, and replace an expensive item's tag with a much less expensive item's tag. I have no idea how they do it without breaking the tag, but it's obviously straight theft.
Quote: AxelWolfI wouldn't know but I have heard there are some tricky job interview questions involving taking a pen or whatever from work.
If you need some extra pen's head to a sports book.
Boz would kill me if I was a customer of his bar, I borrow glasses from casinos restaurants and bars all the time. Yes sometimes I actually return them. I probably have 75 different bucket, shot, whiskey, highball, beverage and snifter glasses at home.
As far as bank pens go, It's hard to get them off that dam little chain thing.
I don't even drink and somehow I have wound up with a few bar glasses. Wonder how that happens? ;-)
I'll need those back.Quote: MaxPenI don't even drink and somehow I have wound up with a few bar glasses. Wonder how that happens? ;-)
The thing is, other than the glasses, I also found bowls, a solid wood table, a kid's school backpack, and a mailbox (still attached to it's 4x4 post). I returned the backpack -- turns out, it was a neighbor's that got stolen from her car. By the time they got to my house, the thieves determined it had nothing of value and tossed it. Mom was happy that her daughter got her books & papers back. Daughter was glad she got her stuffed animal back!
I also returned the mailbox since it had the owner's address -- 15 miles away. Kept the table, though; nice end table.
I'm not sure why my yard was a receptacle for various jetsam. There was the proximity to the bar, but it was a nice neighborhood. I don't think my neighbors got any of this type of stuff in their yards.
OT, I have taken pens from work, but usually it's because I didn't realize it was in my shirt pocket when I left. I have intended to take them back, but most never make it. I doubt my boss or his boss would care.
Quote: WizardofnothingSwitch to td bank- when they bought commerce bank in the northeast they continued the policy of providing new buckets of free pens at every branch and encourage you to take them- that being said when it was commerce they were much higher quality pens
Metro did the same thing here in central PA when they split from Commerce. Now they got bought by FNB-PA and they have nothing offer. They even took away the Doggie Bones.
Quote: jjjooogggI've noticed in my restaurant a lot of internal theft.
Since it has been said that casinos have much internal theft.
I was curious what % of employees are stealing.
I worked in restaurants for a few years. I can honestly say I never stole but that's just the kind of person I am. Theft is probably down because of more automated computer processes and because most customers these days pay with a credit card. I would say restaurant employees generally steal because they are unhappy with their jobs and don't care about them. How successful is your restaurant? How well paid are your employees? Do they know that you appreciate them? Do you have sales contests? Give them a good place to work.
Quote: SandybestdogI worked in restaurants for a few years. I can honestly say I never stole but that's just the kind of person I am. Theft is probably down because of more automated computer processes and because most customers these days pay with a credit card. I would say restaurant employees generally steal because they are unhappy with their jobs and don't care about them. How successful is your restaurant? How well paid are your employees? Do they know that you appreciate them? Do you have sales contests? Give them a good place to work.
And I would say, anecdotally, that theft is up in restaurants due to prevalence of credit and debit cards, and proliferation of skimmers. Way too easy to cheat your patrons, and the card usually goes from table to cashier, out of your sight. Combine with horrible base wages and easy employment, disaster.
Cash only in restaurants for me.
Quote: beachbumbabsAnd I would say, anecdotally, that theft is up in restaurants due to prevalence of credit and debit cards, and proliferation of skimmers. Way too easy to cheat your patrons, and the card usually goes from table to cashier, out of your sight. Combine with horrible base wages and easy employment, disaster.
Cash only in restaurants for me.
I was talking about and I think the OP was talking about theft from the employer, not stealing credit card info from patrons. That's a whole different ballgame. Most employee thefts wouldn't even amount to charges being filed. I can list several ways employees steal if you'd like.
I have worked full time in the restaurant since I was 11, 5 years as cashier and 5 years as cook. before I managed and then co owner.
I will just say that.
Drug abuse and alcohol seems to come up a lot.
We had this young guy all healthy. After a few months of bad influence by peers he ended sending me a pic of himself in ICU. He gained weight and looked pale. Drug "legal" had just come out.
We had this one that would go to the night club every night and blow a lot on alcohol.
Some brag about how much they steal.
One would smoke pot in the freezer.
We had complaints of employees showing up stoned or unable to speak.
One of my associates said that we'd put Hardcore Pawn's drama to shame.
He doesn't know half of it. My bookkeeper said that no one is going to believe how bad it has gotten for a variety of complex reasons on all levels including the crappy pay.
Our previous two maintenance men we found out the hard way that they had a serious drug problem. He would involuntarily move his jaw side to side and sleeps with a prostitute. He came with a honorable discharge. Some of these addicts have no record. One admitted to me that he had a drug problem. And blew $700 in one day.
Quote: beachbumbabsAnd I would say, anecdotally, that theft is up in restaurants due to prevalence of credit and debit cards, and proliferation of skimmers. Way too easy to cheat your patrons, and the card usually goes from table to cashier, out of your sight. Combine with horrible base wages and easy employment, disaster.
Cash only in restaurants for me.
On YouTube, there is a video of a Starbucks young woman cashier who copied her customer's card information and went on a shopping spree in Ralph's, a grocery store on her customer's dime. The customer was furious and went back and rightfully told her off for stealing money from her card. The scary thing is, the cashier was just smiling at her as if she were a normal cashier until the customer pointed out that she was caught on camera using the stolen credit card information, which implies she didn't even recognize that this is the same customer she stole the card information from before she told her off for being a theif!(which she then looked scared as hell and ready to cry)
Quote: gamerfreakSomeone I know told me their younger cousin has taken to "tagging".
You take 2 items to the changing room in a store, and replace an expensive item's tag with a much less expensive item's tag. I have no idea how they do it without breaking the tag, but it's obviously straight theft.
A guy in Walmart was caught doing something very similar to that. He took a $3.99 price sticker off of a 24 pack water bottles, and then put it on a flat screen TV and told the Cashier, "I am glad that you sell flat screen TVs so cheap!" WTF. LOL. The Cashier was not stupid, so she or he did the responsible, smart thing and called the Manager and the Manager promptly kicked him out without the flat screen TV for trying to pull such an obvious scam.
Quote: jjjooogggAfter a few months of bad influence by peers he ended sending me a pic of himself in ICU. He gained weight and looked pale. Drug "legal" had just come out.
"Drug "legal" had just come out."? What does that mean? I think you're leaving out some words.
Quote: SandybestdogI was talking about and I think the OP was talking about theft from the employer, not stealing credit card info from patrons. That's a whole different ballgame. Most employee thefts wouldn't even amount to charges being filed. I can list several ways employees steal if you'd like.
Did not intend to hijack, but I think they're more related than perhaps you do. Most theft is a crime of opportunity. Most people who steal will take from an employer as readily as a customer. Stealing from customers is stealing from the business as well, because the thief is attacking and alienating the customer for future business.
But, anyway, please list your specific examples. Should make an interesting read.
Quote: zippyboyQuote: jjjooogggAfter a few months of bad influence by peers he ended sending me a pic of himself in ICU. He gained weight and looked pale. Drug "legal" had just come out.
"Drug "legal" had just come out."? What does that mean? I think you're leaving out some words.
"Legal" is the street name for synthetic marijuana. Authorities didn't know what to do for a while. I don't know it's legal status now.
Quote: beachbumbabsDid not intend to hijack, but I think they're more related than perhaps you do. Most theft is a crime of opportunity. Most people who steal will take from an employer as readily as a customer. Stealing from customers is stealing from the business as well, because the thief is attacking and alienating the customer for future business.
But, anyway, please list your specific examples. Should make an interesting read.
"opportunity" is a key part of the problem.
I have tried to tell other owners that we are too spread out and under staffed at the managerial level. We need to consolidate and modernize. The consolidation would lower operating cost and create a more robust and redundant system.
Quote: beachbumbabsDid not intend to hijack, but I think they're more related than perhaps you do. Most theft is a crime of opportunity. Most people who steal will take from an employer as readily as a customer. Stealing from customers is stealing from the business as well, because the thief is attacking and alienating the customer for future business.
But, anyway, please list your specific examples. Should make an interesting read.
Have you ever seen those signs on the register saying something like you are entitled to your receipt or your next meal is free? You think they care about you getting a receipt? No. The most common method an employee steals from a restaurant is not ringing things up. They pretend to push buttons, the register opens but nothing rings up and they take the money out later. It happens to me all the time when I go in and buy something small and they already know the price and they see I'm paying cash. This has been mitigated in recent years by more people paying with credit cards.
Other examples are the employees ringing up the order and charging the customer full price and then editing the order later and adding a coupon. Then there's the stealing of food and to a lesser extent giving away food to friends or to customers in the hopes of a tip.
I'm sure there's other ways. It varies by restaurant and the procedures and systems they have in place. It's been awhile since I worked in one.
They worked a plea that involved thousands of dollars of restitution and some community service.
At my club, the revenue from the door and coat check rarely matched up, but was within an acceptable deviation.
I was more concerned with liquor, as that cost actual money.
We had an employee that would force her cashier to make drug transactions at the cash register. The cook would place the drugs in a restaurant bag. The reluctant cashier would handle the cash. She doesn't work for us anymore.
Another employee's future father in law said his daughter was an accessory in burglary. Her mom had trained her to be a drug dealer on the side. I told a cop. He said that she would mess up someday and get a record. Last I checked she had a lot on her record.
Quote: RSAre you stealing if you aren't working 100% of the time when you should be working? Some would say yes -- because you are being paid for the time you work. On the other hand, I think your employer has factored that in -- that employees don't work 100% of the time they should be. Are you stealing from a hotel if you snag a towel and bring it home? Well, yes and no. The cost of the hotel room includes the chance of a towel being stolen and the cost of the towel.
It's still stealing, but easy to justify. (I would never ever EVER steal a towel from a hotel or a glass from a bar, though. ;) )
How about the soap and shampoo? Every hotel we stay in my wife snags all of it. Even if it is a 1 night stay and we don't shower. She still snags it, is that theft since it is meant to be used there?
Here is one I'm not sure about..
You go on a four day cruise that has a 24 hour deli with free sandwiches. You bring a cooler onboard and each day you hit the deli for six- eight sandwiches. You toss the bread and keep the meat on ice. At the end of the cruise, you walk off with several pounds of cold cuts.
Quote: billryanHere is one I'm not sure about..
You go on a four day cruise that has a 24 hour deli with free sandwiches. You bring a cooler onboard and each day you hit the deli for six- eight sandwiches. You toss the bread and keep the meat on ice. At the end of the cruise, you walk off with several pounds of cold cuts.
Everytime my parents go on a cruise, they take like 5 teabags from the buffet each day. By the end of a week you have 1 or 2 boxes of tea. They aren't tea drinkers so I have no idea why they do this, but I always end up drinking it and it's pretty good tea.
Quote: billryanMy option on that is any soap, shampoo or lotion is free play.Raiding the maids cart for boxes of soaps isn't. Obviously, towels, pillows and light bulbs aren't.
Here is one I'm not sure about..
You go on a four day cruise that has a 24 hour deli with free sandwiches. You bring a cooler onboard and each day you hit the deli for six- eight sandwiches. You toss the bread and keep the meat on ice. At the end of the cruise, you walk off with several pounds of cold cuts.
I tip the maid big the first day, and say I would like lots of coffee, soap, and shampoos. Usually good for 5-10 of each, each day. Not sure if either of us is stealing. Probably in some abstract way, but those are consumables meant to be given out, so I don't rate it a sin.
Fish love bread, works really well when you're snorkeling and want to be covered in them. Plastic bag, bread gets wet, which is how they like it best, but it doesn't get stuck in your suit. Shorebirds love thrown bread bits as well. (Mine! Mine!)
Ethically probably questionable in the best light, though an a for creativity, but if you're going to do it, don't throw away the bread. Have fun with it. And it's all going to get eaten.
Quote: billryanMy opinion on that is any soap, shampoo or lotion is free play.Raiding the maids cart for boxes of soaps isn't. Obviously, towels, pillows and light bulbs aren't.
Here is one I'm not sure about..
You go on a four day cruise that has a 24 hour deli with free sandwiches. You bring a cooler onboard and each day you hit the deli for six- eight sandwiches. You toss the bread and keep the meat on ice. At the end of the cruise, you walk off with several pounds of cold cuts.
A customer was caught at a local Burger King siphoning and I mean SIPHONING the free hand sanitizer meant for people eating to use to sanitize their hands while they ate. He filled up his own bottle of sanitizer with the free hand sanitizer and was told by a manager to kindly stop siphoning the free sanitizer for his own bottle as that is meant for everyone to use, not to be used in a dishonest way. The guy promised to not siphon the sanitizer again.
I took a credit card fraud class.
I asked the teacher if we should ID card our customers. He paused and said to follow our merchant service provider's rules. Which is to not card customers. He obviously was thinking about the credit card info stolen by employees.
If an employee has photographic memory. It would be easy to disguise what is happening.
I was behind someone at home depot. He told the cashier that ever since he was a victim of identity fraud with a credit card ,he was told never to show his ID to a cashier again. I can't remember the act or law that he cited. I think it was the Consumer Privacy Protection Act of 2015
Quote: jjjooogggAbout the credit card fraud:
I took a credit card fraud class.
I asked the teacher if we should ID card our customers. He paused and said to follow our merchant service provider's rules. Which is to not card customers. He obviously was thinking about the credit card info stolen by employees.
If an employee has photographic memory. It would be easy to disguise what is happening.
I was behind someone at home depot. He told the cashier that ever since he was a victim of identity fraud with a credit card ,he was told never to show his ID to a cashier again. I can't remember the act or law that he cited. I think it was the Consumer Privacy Protection Act of 2015
Yes it is technically against the MC and Visa merchant user agreement to card customers. They have the right to refuse a card if it is not signed but they are not allowed to get your ID. There is a hotline to complain when merchants are breaking the rule.
Also they are not allowed to set a minimum purchase. Some places will tell you that you have to spend $3 or $5 to use a card but that is against the TOS as well.
Interesting.Quote: GWAEYes it is technically against the MC and Visa merchant user agreement to card customers. They have the right to refuse a card if it is not signed but they are not allowed to get your ID. There is a hotline to complain when merchants are breaking the rule.
Also they are not allowed to set a minimum purchase. Some places will tell you that you have to spend $3 or $5 to use a card but that is against the TOS as well.
Do I feel bad about it? No. For years I worked heavy hours in peak season - 50 to 60 a week for two to three months straight. There was never a corresponding slow period where I could drop down to 30 hours a week to make up for it. I never received any comp time to make up for it. My salary was never adjusted to account for the excess hours, and I was never paid OT because I was an exempt employee.
Now I did have ways of getting some extra time out of the office - taking invisible longer lunches, calling in sick when the boss was out of the office for the day (the secretary always forgot to mark those down), and having to go on 'client calls' with a marketing friend of mine (which usually ended up at the Flying Saucer bar trying new brews)! Still, I figure I easily worked 100 unpaid hours or more a year, so they still got their money's worth out of me.
Quote: beachbumbabs
Fish love bread, works really well when you're snorkeling and want to be covered in them. Plastic bag, bread gets wet, which is how they like it best, but it doesn't get stuck in your suit. Shorebirds love thrown bread bits as well. (Mine! Mine!)
I like to use dry cat food that I take in a ziplock bag. The fish will swarm and attack the food but the fish really can't eat it until it softens which takes a minute or two.
You need to know the area, and the size fish that will come, in order to appropriately slice and dice ;-)
I never stole anything from any job except for one place. Back in my junkie days, dead end job with an a-hole owner. T'was ye olde slippery slope. Asked to do a side job, do it, don't get paid for it, so I made up for it myself. Seemed proper. Righteous, even. But working retail, on your own, with not a shred of inventory management, supervision, or surveillance was just too easy. It got ridiculous, and extended into customers, even. Old timer would show up, had me a $20 with a one hitter rolled inside. I'd take it, whack the pipe, get his Marb Reds, then hand him his smokes and "change", which was a ten and two fives with the pipe wrapped back in it. Did it all right at the register plain as day, never thought twice about it. Would probably make a good PSA.
Was a weird phase. Left there, ended up working a spot two shops down, and it never crossed my mind to nick a thing. Over $5mm physical dollars passed through my own hands at that spot; I never pilfered so much as a shiny dime.
OK, I nicked two uncancelled die from the casino years later. Was part of a project that I forgot about. Hehe, and I see the die sitting right next to me. Oh well =p
